The Ponderings Of Good and Strong
by FanficMonster101
Summary: Sometimes the only thing we need to improve ourselves...is someone else. ::slight SasuHina::


**Me:** So I know I promised you guys a Christmas chapter, and I was really gonna do it - and then I got banned from Fanfiction.

No, not by the site - by my parents.

So you have them to thank for this little one-shot that I know wasn't what you guys were hoping for. I'll update my other stories as soon as the ban is lifted, and I have more time than ten minutes, which is what I spent on this story while my parents went to the hardware store.

Yeah, I'm a bad child.

So enjoy this story written by a disobedient delinquent who doesn't listen to her parents. :p

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_**Sasuke**_

**{|=|}**

So maybe you're not all that good.

You're certainly not evil...not yet. Just misguided. That's what they told you, when you were younger.

What do they know? Can they see into your heart? Can they see into your mind?

No, they can't. Because they're not like you. They don't have those eyes, those eyes of blood and hate. They'll never know your thoughts, your feelings. They're not like you, not at all.

You consider joining the evil side. Evil always seems to have a way to be stronger than you, doesn't it?

Your first encounter with evil was your own brother.

After that, villains seemed to pale in comparison. No one was as strong as him, no one was as smart as him, no one could beat him. You used to say that with such pride - now you think it with such venom.

You _hate_ him.

Evil always seemed to win. It took four good guys to finish off Zabuza, and you were one of them. You could barely handle Haku.

Next was Gaara, and he was small and short and you though you could defeat him no problem. But you saw that boy's face, blank mask hiding rage and violence, and you knew there was something wrong with him. Technically, during your match (after you'd been approached by the other bad guy), you didn't win. Because it all got out of control.

And Gaara still beat you. The kid was evil.

You though you were good...in both senses. He was better. He was evil.

And finally, Orochimaru, rotten to the core, a bad egg; whatever stupid cliche you want to pin on him. He was evil. And he was powerful. And he wanted to help you.

But you were good. You didn't accept help from evil.

You fought it, and for a while there, it was all okay.

Kakashi was a good teacher, and despite all the pain and suffering in his own life, he'd managed to stay a good guy. You could, too, couldn't you? Sakura was a good friend, if not a very useful teammate, and you appreciated the fact that despite being an asshole towards her, she still respected and liked you.

And Naruto. Oh, Naruto, unfailingly cheerful and somehow almost as strong as you. He was good, all good, and he was strong. You could be strong, too. He could help you. Help you defeat Itachi...

But no. It had to be done alone. It was your revenge. So you trained, and became stronger.

But it was Naruto, not you, who defeated the man with the senbon umbrella. It was you who was in the hospital, not him. It was you Sakura was pitying and cutting up those stupid fucking apples for, not him.

And when you confronted him, to prove you were better, all you did was prove you weren't strong enough.

You weren't good enough, in both senses of the word. You were too evil to become strong. You were too good to become strong.

You had to choose.

Evil always seemed to have a way of being better than you.

You chose evil.

So now you're back, and everyone hates you, but that's fine. You've been sentenced to death anyway, you won't be around for much longer to hear them slander your name. You'll be gone, and you'll be with your brother, and your parents, and your clan, away from Konoha. Away from all the good and evil.

Because in purgatory, things like good and evil don't mean shit anymore.

You've realized, after all the hate and rage and murder, that you're not evil. You're just waiting to die.

So maybe you're not all that good.

But the girl with white eyes, who visits you every week, makes you think that...

Maybe you could be.

**{|=|}**

_**Hinata**_

**{|=|}**

So maybe you're not all that strong.

Your cousin used to say it was fate that people were the way they were, and nothing could change that, and maybe somewhere along the line you started believing it.

Your father used to say that it was because you didn't train hard enough, but you know that's not true. You trained until your palms bled, you trained until your bones broke, you trained until you though you would die, but you're still not strong.

Your sister offers no opinion. She's quiet and polite and practical, like you, but she's strong. You don't know why. Why is she better than you? Why does she succeed where you fail?

Hanabi is an empty shell of a person, one you've tried to fill up with love and compassion, but your father keep emptying her out with a disapproving frown in your direction. Is that why you are weak, because you love too much? Because you care? Because you can't bear to see someone suffer?

Is that why you are weak?

You always admired the blonde boy, because he was cheerful despite being viewed as weak. He might not have the skills, but he had to confidence, and you didn't. You wanted to be like him. You wanted to share in that undeserved bravado. Because if you faked it, maybe you could do it in real life.

But then he got physically strong, and you didn't, but the affection didn't go away as you though it would. You still wanted to be like him, but now you wanted to be with him, too. Because it seemed more realistic. You couldn't be strong like him, but at least you could be special to him.

But you couldn't even do that. He wanted confidence and strength, as well, and found it in his pink-haired teammate, the lovely Sakura. You aren't ugly, but you are no Sakura Haruno. You're just the shy little girl on Team 8 with a bad stutter and a worse blush.

You grew up, though, and realized that if you couldn't be strong, and you couldn't be with Naruto, maybe you could be something else. With some_one_ else.

You tried both at the same time. Your vision increased to over six miles, and you had the best range out of any Hyuga in the village. Better than Neji's. You were proud of yourself. And you started dating Kiba, because Kiba liked you and Kiba reminded you of Naruto. He was easy to be with, and he was never discreetly glancing around for a glimpse of pink hair. His eyes were always on you, and after a while, you stopped looking for blonde, and started looking for unruly brown. Kiba was always your friend, and now he was your boyfriend. For the first time, you were good at something, and you were special to someone.

You wouldn't trade that for anything.

Almost anything.

You would still like to be strong. Incredible vision is nice, but you wish people did not have to jump in and save you all the time.

So maybe you're not all that strong.

But the boy with black eyes, who you visit every week, makes you think that...

Maybe you could be.

**{|=|}**

**Me:** Tadaa. Now go review or something. Pretty please? I know I don't deserve it, and it's too late for Christmas presents, but...can ya make an exception?

For meeeeeee?


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